Cycling...

Well, it is exactly a month since I last posted an entry in my blog, and what a month it has been! Quite a few things have happened since then, I have finished uni for another year, I have been fully paid for the e-commerce package, I have even got my results back from uni, I nearly started a hosting company, AND I am know very into cycling, particularly endurance riding.

Now this does not mean that I am very good at it, I just really like it. In fact, I am going to go on an incredibly long cycle, from Cape Rienga to the Bluff (for those of you who are not from NZ, that is the furthest north point of our fair country to the most southern point). I guess now, that you have some questions popping up in your head such as:

WHY?

and

WHEN?

Well, the story all starts on Saturday the 12th of November, around 2:30pm. I was sitting at home, working on a website for a hosting company I was thinking of starting, when I received a TXT from a friend of mine, Christian Parker. He informed me that he needed a bicycle to fulfill his destiny, and pleaded with me to let him borrow my one. He was infact going on an adventure with Ben Cullen. I raised the suggestion that Christian borrow Tyler's bike so that all three of us could go on an adventure, which was welcomed with open arms. We went for a 25km mission which took us four and a half hours (we mucked around for a while at our destination). Whilst on this mission I suggested that we ride the length of the country and that we should raise money for Canteen, which is a charity which supports children (and their families) who have cancer. Ben and Christian were into it at the time, but I haven't quite gauged their seriousness. I will do the ride, whether they come along or not.

Given that I am incredibly unfit, and un-prepared for a 2000+km bike ride, I have decided that I need to train for a year, and get myself to the stage where I can ride 200km in 8 hours. (Only a 25km an hour average speed) which should not be too hard. I would really like to do this ride in the very early new year of 2007, but there are a few things I will need to get before then for it to become a reality (aside from the obvious fitness):

1.) A support crew
2.) Publicity
3.) Loads of people to donate money for canteen
4.) Sponsorship so that I can get a good enduro bike, and all
the spare parts needed to make sure I get from top
to bottom in one piece.

The Bike Situation:

Well as you know, my mountain bike was stolen, and I replaced it with a $1 bike off trademe. This bike has turned out to be enough to enspire me, but it won't really be good enough for serious training, so I bought another trademe bike, $55 this time, so I am hoping it will be 55 times better! The new bike will arrive on Sunday morning (so Sunday arvo I will go for a ride!)

I hope to get a Spedometer for Christmas which will be really useful for my training, I want to get one which tells me my cadence (how even my peddling rhythm is), because that is important for endurance riding (so I am told).

The Support Crew:

Well, one of my mates from Church, Nick, wants to video the ride, and he has a van too, so I reckon he could be the prime candidate to head up the support crew! Nick is a really awesome dude, who is right into snowboarding, and one of his friends, Julia used to be a hardout track cyclist.

The Publicity:

My flatmate Jono knows John Campbell, who is currently the host of New Zealand's most populer 7:00pm TV show, Campbell Live! I am going to try and work that connection as much as I can.

The Donators:

Well hopefully the publicity will lead to people donating money!

The Sponsors:

Well I have my eyes on one of the bike shops where I do a bit of business, they are dealers of Specialized bikes and equipment and I would really love a Specialized S-Works Roubaix enduro bike. I really don't know how to do that step though.

Fitness:

I have a good friend who does enduro cycling, and triathalons, and I am going to talk to hima a whole heap about my training.

Finally:

If you can help me in any of the above areas, please flick me an e-mail at dynamicsamurai@gmail.com !

May God Bless you all.